Kira, Ro and Sisko sit comfortably in the lounge area, drinking coffee or raktajino or whatever.

RO
So what did Yevir say?

KIRA
Don’t know. I didn’t give him a
chance before the meeting, and
by the time I came out of the
meeting he’d already hitched
the first ride back to Bajor.

RO
How do you think he got out of
Cardassia? It’s supposed to be
quarantined.

SISKO
Cardassian security is stretched
to the breaking point as it is.
I’m sure all he needed was a
word in the right ear.

RO
But what about the disease?

KIRA
I had Julian give him a good
thorough scanning just to be
safe. He’s clean.

CENN (comm)
Cenn to Kira. It’s starting, Captain.

She nods – they’ve been expecting this. Knocking back the last of her coffee...

KIRA
Shall we?

54 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

Kira, Ro and Sisko emerge onto Ops. Cenn is at the central table – he directs their attention to the main view screen. It comes to life with an image of the open-air public speaking platform on Bajor that we’ve seen Yevir and Solis use before. But this time Asarem is behind the microphone, with the suggestion of many press people and public nearby.

ASAREM (screen)
Citizens of Bajor...

55 EXT. BAJOR – PRESS PLATFORM

Asarem on the podium, speaking to the press and public...

ASAREM
Many things have been asked of
Bajor in recent years. Many
changes have been thrust upon
our people. From hatred of the
Cardassian people, to friendship
and pity for them. From distrust
of the Federation to fellowship
in their number. From brutal war
against the Dominion to peace
and even alliance. And from
the monolithic strength of one
singular religion to a new
freedom of choice to worship.

56 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

The usual crowd of officers, aliens and civilians. QUARK is working his bar, and Asarem’s speech is on the screens.

ASAREM (screen)
You have absorbed all of these
changes with grace and dignity.
It makes me proud to lead you.

At a table under the stairs, Vaughn sits sharing lunch with PRYNN. He’s looking down at his plate, not really eating.

VAUGHN (cont)
Holding a grudge like this. It
makes me feel so juvenile. I
should be long past this kind
of nonsense.

ON SCREEN

Asarem continues her speech...

ASAREM (screen)
But there may yet be more changes
we must face together.

UPPER LEVEL

Bashir is sat at a table alone, looking down at the main floor, watching the screens. He senses a presence... and looks up to see Dax hovering awkwardly. She half-smiles tentatively and hopefully at him, silently asking if she can join him. He smiles, relieved. Of course she can.

57 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

Kira, Ro and Sisko watch the screen. Cenn, Nog, Shar and Bowers are also at their positions. Everyone’s watching.

ASAREM (screen)
Opaka Sulan told us all of the
Eav’oq, a people from the other
side of the galaxy, but who
have also been touched by the
Prophets. But now it is time
you knew of a third people who
have been touched by Them.

Kira takes a deep breath of nerves and tension – this is where everything could go wrong.

58 EXT. BAJOR – PRESS PLATFORM

Asarem continues her speech. She knows this could be tough, and she has to play this just right.

ASAREM
These people are known as the
Ascendants. We know little about
them, only that their own love of
the Prophets has placed them at
odds with the Eav’oq in the past.
We Bajorans have faced this
dilemma ourselves, struggling to
reconcile traditional worship
with new, alternative views. We
came through those struggles as
we have all the others.

59 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

Bashir and Dax sit across the table from each other on the upper level of the bar.

DAX
I’m sorry I ignored you. I guess
I was just embarrassed. I made
such a big deal out of moving
on and making a new start. And
barely three months in, it all
blows up in my face. Literally.

BASHIR
I don’t mind admitting I was
terrified for you when I heard
about the accident. But in a way,
I’m almost glad it happened.

DAX
What the hell does that mean?

BASHIR
Nothing! Just... that it’s nice
to have you back. Whatever
the reason.

DAX
I’m not... “back.” I just didn’t
have anywhere else to go.

BASHIR
But... I thought the tour on
the Luna would have got it all
out of your system, and now
you’d come back and settle down
here, where you belong.

DAX
You do not get to say where I
belong, Julian!

ASAREM (screen)
It is my hope that in this way,
Bajor can serve as an example,
as proof that religions need
not be enemies.

60 EXT. BAJOR – PRESS PLATFORM

Asarem’s speech continues...

ASAREM
Just as the Prophets sent us
their Emissary so that we might
better understand one another,
so Opaka has lived among the
Eav’oq, learning about their ways
of life, building a relationship based
upon our commonalities. Now I
have put forward the suggestion
that we continue on this path,
by meeting with the Ascendants.
Their ways may be different
from ours, but I believe that
it is our similarities that
can bring us together.

She pauses to let the audience absorb her words.

61 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

As the crew watches the screen:

RO
Sneaky. She goes directly to
the people, getting them on her
side, so the Vedek Assembly has
no choice but to agree, or risk
looking childish and petulant.

SISKO
(grin)
Maybe we should start calling
that “The Kira Manoeuvre.”

Kira is a bit bashful, a bit flattered. It was her idea.

62 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

The bar patrons are also watching. Vaughn and Prynn are still sitting together under the spiral staircase...

VAUGHN
Prynn, I’ve seen the way you
look at him when you think
he’s not looking. You can’t
tell me you’re not interested.

PRYNN
Dad, I’ve told you before. He’s
a married man. Thia is carrying
his baby.

VAUGHN
I don’t think it’s Thia you’re
worried about at all. You’ve
known all along Shar doesn’t
have any real feelings for her.

PRYNN
I don’t know...

VAUGHN
You do know. You’re a smart girl,
Prynn. So I think you’re fixating
on Thia as your rival for Shar’s
affections to avoid looking at
the real challenge – Thriss.

PRYNN
Dad... Thriss is dead.

VAUGHN
And thus perfect. Shar can keep
her in his memory, his ideal,
never changing. How could you
possibly compete with that?

Prynn can’t deny he might have a point.

63 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

On Shar, as he watches Asarem draw to her conclusion...

ASAREM (screen)
To this end, I have petitioned
the Federation to send a fleet
of ships into the Gamma Quadrant,
with the aim of making peaceful
contact with the Ascendants. I
ask for your support and your
strength in this endeavour. We
can all walk with the Prophets,
whichever path we choose to take.

Kira watches from outside her office...

KIRA
Hopefully that’ll do the trick.

64 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

Bashir has been watching the speech on the screens, as a way of avoiding more arguments with Dax if nothing else.

BASHIR
I don’t see why we need to
bother with the Ascendants at
all. Or the Eav’oq for that matter.

DAX
What are you talking about?

BASHIR
Well, it’s none of our business,
is it? The Federation doesn’t
go around sticking its nose
into other people’s affairs.
Or at least it shouldn’t.

DAX
But the Eav’oq are defenceless.

BASHIR
To be perfectly honest, Ezri,
I’m not sure I care.

Dax sits amazed at what Bashir just said...

65 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

Down on Bajor, Asarem has finished her public address. Among the clamour of journalists firing questions at her, she makes a dignified exit. As the drone of the crowd fades away, Kira turns and heads back to her office.

But then the sound picks up again. The journalists are excited about something... Kira turns to see what it is... And sees Yevir taking the stage, back in his full vedek regalia. The press and public are all buzzing...

YEVIR (screen)
I have an announcement to make...

KIRA
Son of a bitch!

66 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

All the Bajorans have gone crazy at Yevir’s appearance, but Dax and Bashir are engaged completely in each other.

DAX
Why are you being such an ass?

BASHIR
I’m not being an ass. I’m being
sensible. Being an ass is when
your former lover only wants to
tell you he’s glad you didn’t
die, and you just walk past
him like he’s invisible.

DAX
I told you, I was embarrassed.

BASHIR
I’m embarrassed right now.

DAX
We’ve known each other ten years,
Julian. You’ve gone from playful
flirting, to giving me up as a
lost cause, to getting a second
chance, to screwing up your
second chance, to becoming
possessive and controlling. I
don’t think I like the change.

BASHIR
I don’t know why you have to
be so deliberately hurtful,
Ezri. Jadzia would never have
said the things you do.

DAX
You know what else Jadzia never
did? Sleep with you.

With disgust in her eyes, Dax shoves her chair back, stands and stomps off.

On the lower level, Prynn and Vaughn have heard the raised voices. They watch, disturbed, as Dax stalks away.

67 EXT. BAJOR – PRESS PLATFORM

Yevir stands before his adoring crowds...

YEVIR
Thank you for your warm welcome,
my children. It is a blessing
to be home, among you again.

He reaches inside his robes and pulls out the JEVONITE FIGURINE. He holds it up reverently for the crowd to see.

YEVIR
You may recall my showing you
this object once before. It was
found at the great lost city of
B’Hala by the tireless workers
there, passed on to the wife of
the Emissary, and finally to me.
It clearly shows the features of
both Bajorans and Cardassians,
combined into one figure. Now,
as you may know, I have spent
more than a year on Cardassia,
studying the traditions of the
Oralian Way. While there, I had
cause to visit their own newly
unearthed ancient city, the
Hebitian stronghold of Gardat.

FLASHBACK – 10x06 “THE DREAM BOX”

Inside the Hebitian caves, he looks at the Oralian figures carved out of jevonite, caresses them in astonishment...

YEVIR (v.o.)
And there I found... many
identical figures. In the
heart of the Oralian Way.

A close-up of the figures – they show Bajoran nose ridges and Cardassia neck bones.

BACK TO SCENE

Yevir himself gazes out into the crowd, almost overcome with wonder himself at what he’s saying...

YEVIR
This is the proof I have been
seeking, my children. Proof of
a connection between our worlds
that is far more ancient than
the Occupation. I have already
joined my order to the people
of the Oralian Way in the name
of this connection. But now I
must do more. A brave woman
named Ekosha risked hatred and
violence to bring the word of
Oralius to Bajor. But she was
lost to us in the recent
unpleasantness on Cardassia.

68 INT. DS9 – MAIN OPS CENTRE

Kira watches, absolutely livid with fury at Yevir.

YEVIR (screen)
In honour of Ekosha’s courage,
I hereby announce...
(pause for drama)
...that I will bring the word
of Oralius to Bajor in her place.
A new religion must come to our
world, my children... and I will
lead the way.

Hearing this, Kira’s jaw drops. Everyone else’s too. On the screen, we can hear the journalists begin to buzz...

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT THREE

.

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What happened between THE SOUL KEY and DESTINY? Find out in DEEP SPACE NINE SEASON 11 !